Picadillo Soup Recipe

This picadillo soup recipe is made with onion, garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, spices, ground beef, broth, limes, cilantro and simmered to perfection.

When I think of comfort food, I think of Picadillo Soup. There is nothing more delicious and easier to make that this. This is one of my mom’s most popular dishes. Using minimal ingredients, this dish can be made in less than 30 minutes. Feel free to serve the soup with tortilla chips, lime wedges and cilantro for a nice kick.

If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Chipotle Cilantro Lime White Rice and my Tortilla Soup.

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Olive oil
• Red onion
• Garlic
• Jalapeno
• Ground beef
• Diced tomatoes with green chilies
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Bay leaves
• Limes
• Cilantro

See recipe card below for picadillo soup recipe quantities.

Instructions

Add olive oil until the oil shimmers. Stir in the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, breaking meat apart with a wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes until brown and broken apart.

Toss in the red onion and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the garlic, jalapeño, and salt and cook for 3 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth, tomatoes and bay leaves, cover, and cook for 25 minutes.

Squeeze lime juice into the pot, combine, and garnish with cilantro, sour cream, or lime wedges.

Hint: Cook the beef first so the juice some out and mix with the vegetables.

Substitutions

• Olive oil: You can use olive oil although vegetable oil works just as well.
• Onion: I used a red onion as most Mexican dishes use red onions. You could use a white or yellow onion as well.
• Jalapeños: I used jalapeños but serrano peppers work just as well.
• Tomatoes: You can use fresh diced tomatoes, but to cut down prep time I like using from a can. You can also opt for the diced tomatoes with peppers in them!
• Ground beef: You want to use ground beef that Is 85% or 90% lean meat. Do not worry about using lean meat as the rest of the ingredients will keep your picadillo moist and juicy. Avoid super lean meats.
• Garlic: You can use fresh garlic for best flavor or garlic from a jar.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or hot sauce at the end.
• Deluxe - top with avocado, cilantro, or sour cream.
• Kid friendly - add crushed tortilla chips and shredded Mexican cheese.

Check out my friend Anne-Marie's Picadillo recipe.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. If you are making this in the dutch oven, use a Le Creuset dutch oven or Staub. I made this in my Instant Pot pressure cooker, which works just as well.

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or you can freeze this picadillo soup for 3 months.

Top tip

Make sure to add all the liquids before covering and cooking or pressure cooking.

Picadillo Soup Recipe

---

• Author: Maxine Dubois
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This picadillo soup recipe is made with onion, garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, spices, ground beef, broth, limes, cilantro and simmered to perfection.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Optional: 1 jalapeño, deseeded and minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups beef or chicken broth
• Juice of ½ lime
• Garnish:
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• Lime wedges
• Sour cream
• Tortilla chips

---

Instructions

Stovetop:

• Heat a large lidded Dutch oven or pot over medium heat, add olive oil until the oil shimmers.
• Add the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, breaking meat apart with a wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes until brown and broken apart.
• Add the red onion and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the garlic, jalapeño, and salt and cook for 3 minutes.
• Pour in the chicken broth, tomatoes and bay leaves, cover, and cook for 25 minutes.
• Squeeze lime juice into the pot, combine, and garnish with cilantro, sour cream, or lime wedges.

Pressure cooker:

• Hit sauté on your pressure cooker, add olive oil until the oil shimmers.
• Add the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, breaking meat apart with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and salt and cook for 3 minutes.
• Turn off sauté and pour in the chicken broth, tomatoes and bay leaves. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.
• Squeeze lime juice into the pot and stir. Serve into bowls and garnish with cilantro, sour cream, or lime wedges.

Notes

Make sure to cook the meat first so the juices come out and cook with the vegetables.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 354.3
• Sugar: 2.7 g
• Sodium: 403.4 mg
• Fat: 24.0 g
• Carbohydrates: 7.7 g
• Fiber: 1.6 g
• Protein: 21.5 g
• Cholesterol: 85.0 mg

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.